1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to implements or attachments for use with power lawn mowers and more specifically to pump attachments which may be directly connected to the uppermost end of the engine drive shaft so as to be supported and drivingly engaged by the engine drive or crank shaft. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a fluid reservoir is selectively secured to the lawn mower and connected through fluid conduits and the pump to one or more sprayers which may be selectively utilized as desired. With the present invention, a conventional lawn mower may be utilized to provide power to the pump for pumping various fluids in differing environments and may also be converted into a self-powered mobile spraying unit which can be utilized to effectively discharge fertilizers, insecticides and other liquids as may be required by individual homeowners.
2. History of the Related Art
In the past, most implements or attachments for use with powered lawn mowers have been the type of equipment which is normally pushed, pulled or otherwise supported by the lawn mower without any necessity being made for powering the implement directly from the lawn mower engine. Other types of implements such as rotor tillers and the like which are utilized with larger garden type tractors, receive power from special power take-offs which are designed similarly to the power take-offs utilized on larger farm tractors. Such power take-offs are specifically designed to provide a rotary driving motion for powering various implements.
In applicant's copending U.S. Patent Ser. No. 06/798,541, filed Nov. 15, 1985, entitled Multiple Machine Drive Shaft and Coupler Adapter Assembly, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,349, one such arrangement for a power take-off for driving one or more pumps is disclosed. In that invention, the rotary power from a power take-off on a tractor is conveyed to one or more pumps which may be interconnected and driven along a common drive axis. The pumps may be utilized to permit the simultaneous application of a plurality of fertilizers, weed killers and/or insecticides as the tractor passes through a field.
With smaller more conventional lawn mowers including push lawn mowers or lawn mowers having horsepower ratings generally in the range of 3.0 to 18 horsepower and which do not have a separate power take-off, little use has been made of the engine to provide power to supplemental implements and especially to implements for pumping or spraying fluids.
Today, many homeowners must rely upon commercial lawn services to provide necessary applications of fertilizers, weed killers, insecticides and the like in order to maintain lawns and gardens in proper condition. Fertilization and weed control applications provided by commercial services are often very expensive with the results not always being satisfactory as might otherwise be possible when an individual takes a personal interest in the application of the fertilizer, weed killer or insecticide to their own yard or garden. Unfortunately, most implements provided for fertilization for homeowners are either drop or broadcast spreaders or liquid sprayers that are hand pumped to provide sufficient pressure to spray small areas. In addition, some insecticide dispensers have been manufactured for direct incorporation with a household water source wherein the insecticide is directly attached to a hose for concurrent dispensing of the fluid being discharged from the hose. Again, such applications are limited in their scope and are not suitable for use over large areas. Also, such prior art spraying devices to not develop sufficient pressure to allow application of insecticides, fertilizers and weed killers to remote areas including the upper reaches of some shrubbery or trees.
There have been several attempts in the prior art to utilize conventional lawn mowers to power pumps or sprayer systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,813,190 to Keating, an emergency pump system is disclosed which is powered by a conventional push lawn mower. In this patent, a coupling adapter is fastened to the lawn mower blade. The coupling adapter extends along a substantial portion of the length of the blade and a depending socket member is secured to a shaft extending into a pump. The pump is mounted within a raised pedestal so that the lawn mower wheels are elevated above the ground during the use of the lawn mower to power the pump. With this type of construction, it is necessary to disengage the pump from the lawn mower every time the lawn mower is to be utilized in a conventional manner. Further, the mounting of the drive connection to the lawn mower blade requires that the blade be activated any time the lawn mower engine is to be utilized to power the pump. Such a situation is not advantageous and presents situations which may be extremely hazardous to an operator. This is especially true as the lawn mower is mounted in elevated relationship with respect to the ground during its use in powering the pump.
A further drawback with respect to the pump system disclosed in the patent to Keating is that the lawn mower cannot be utilized as a mobile drive source for conveying the pumping apparatus from one area to another. Therefore, with this type of arrangement, the pumping apparatus is only suitable for use as a fixed location pump and is not suitable for providing surface applications of liquid fertilizers, water, chemical weed killers and the like.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,151,563 to Lita et al., another spraying attachment for conventional push lawn mowers is disclosed which is very similar in operation to that of the aforementioned prior art reference to Keating. In this patent, a special extension is adapted to be engaged with the lower portion of the drive shaft below the lawn mower cutting blade. The lawn mower is adapted to be mounted to a housing so as to be raised with respect to the ground. A belt drive power take-off is provided to drive a pump so as to deliver fluid from a fluid receiver to a sprayer. Again, the pumping system of Lita et al. is not a portable system which would permit spraying to be accomplished over large areas. Instead, the lawn mower must be fixed with respect to the pump support base or housing during operation of the pump. Further, with this structure, the lawn mower must be provided with a supplemental extension which must be disengaged every time the lawn mower is to be utilized in a standard capacity in mowing operations.
Additional examples of prior art liquid sprayers or spraying attachments for use with lawn mowers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,044,884 to Keller and 2,939,636 to Mullen.
Today's commercially available sprayers for use with lawn mowers are designed to be independently operated systems. Such systems are frequently trailered behind a conventional lawn mower and include their own separate power supply source, such as electrical engines or gasoline engines, to provide a drive source for the pumping equipment associated with such systems. Other sprayer systems are directly mounted to conventional lawn mowers but again are utilized with separate sources of power, i.e. separate electrical supply or gasoline engines. In the foregoing systems, the requirement for a separate and individual power source to be utilized with the equipment is not economical and in many cases inefficient, as when separate electrical power sources are used.
Another example wherein the drive shaft of a lawn mower is used as a power-take off for accessories is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,308,676 wherein a power take-off is provided above the deck of the mower in order to power an implement for use in snow blowing. Other examples of utilizing the drive shaft of conventional lawn mowers for use as power take-offs for powering accessories or auxiliary equipment are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,254 to Qualls wherein a flexible drive shaft is connected to an edge trimmer with the drive shaft being connected to the upper portion of the lawn mower drive shaft. A similar arrangement is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,855 to Beaver, Jr.